Background
The eleventh annual Multi-Stakeholder Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation for the SDGs (STI Forum) will be held from Wednesday, 6 May, to Thursday, 7 May 2026. The Forum will be convened by the President of ECOSOC His Excellency Mr. Lok Bahadur Thapa, who had appointed two co-chairs - H.E. Mr. Chola Milambo, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Zambia to the United Nations, and H.E. Mr. Gregor W. Koessler, Permanent Representative of Austria to the United Nations. As per its mandate, the Forum will be organized by the UN interagency task team on STI for the SDGs (IATT), convened by UN-DESA and UNCTAD, and the 10-Member Group of high-level representatives appointed by the Secretary General.
As in previous years, the theme of the STI Forum will be closely aligned with that of the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF), to be held from Monday, 6 July, to Wednesday, 15 July 2026, under the auspices of the Economic and Social Council. The STI Forum will have an exclusive focus on the role and contributions of science, technology and innovation to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. The 2026 HLPF will hold in-depth reviews of five SDGs: SDG 6. Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all; SDG 7. Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all; SDG 9. Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation; SDG 11. Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable; and SDG 17. Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development.
Accordingly, the theme for the STI Forum 2026 is: “Transformative, equitable and coordinated science, technology and innovation for the 2030 Agenda and a sustainable future for all.”
H.E. Mr. Chola Milambo
H.E. Mr. Chola Milambo, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Zambia to the United Nations, Co-Chair of the 2026 STI Forum.
H.E. Mr. Gregor W. Koessler
H.E. Mr. Gregor W. Koessler, Permanent Representative of Austria to the United Nations, Co-Chair of the 2026 STI Forum.
Announcements
The President of ECOSOC His Excellency Mr. Lok Bahadur Thapa has appointed two co-chairs - H.E. Mr. Chola Milambo, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Zambia to the United Nations, and H.E. Mr. Gregor W. Koessler, Permanent Representative of Austria to the United Nations.
The STI Forum has worked cumulatively since its inception. An important part in this process is the intersessional work of the UN system, its Interagency Task Team on Science, Technology and Innovation for the SDGs (IATT), and of the 10-Member-Group of High-level Representatives. Here we will cross-link selected intersessional work since the last Forum in May 2025, for ease of reference.
Conferences, meetings and workshops
- International Day of Science, Technology and Innovation for the South, UN HQ, New York, USA, 16 Sept, 2025.
Publications
- Statistical Indicators of Inclusive and Sustainable Industrialization: Biennial Progress Report 2025, UNIDO
Capacity building
- Capacity Building Workshop for Small Island Developing States: Leveraging Big Earth Data to Evaluate the SDGs Progress, CBAS HQ, Beijing, China, 01-08 Sept, 2025.
